The district has now hired a public relations company called MASSolutions at $350 an hour.

“Some people have said, ‘Oh, they’re just hiring P.R., so they can sweep all these issues under the rug,'” said School Board President Tara Reis. “There’s no sweeping under the rug. Nothing can be swept under the rug. Everything is out there, and we know we have issues that we really have to deal with.”

The board president says their business manager has recommended for years eliminating crossing guard funding.

“We subsequently reached out to the police chiefs in all the boroughs that are in Woodland Hills to get their input, tell them what we’re planning,” said Reis. “We have heard from those police chiefs that they’re okay with it.”

But Mayor Fetterman says the short letter was a surprise to him: “To just summarily say, ‘We’re done with that,’ is bizarre,” said Mayor Fetterman. “Particularly, given in light of hiring a P.R. person for $350 an hour.”

By the way, the school board president says they’ve been thinking about hiring a P.R. firm for years to try to get attention for the good things that happen in the district.